Electrolytic cell.



1. Mams. ELECTROLY'C CELL.

APPLICATION FMEDSEFLZS. 191?.

latented Mar. 1l, 1919.

1 v x y JHN HARRIS, OF LKEWQD, OHIO, ASSIGNGR OF @NE-HALF T0 EAMES R. ROSE; *l

nnncraonrric com.

marisa -Specification of Letters Patent.

.Application ed September 29, 1917. Sera?. No. 363,873.

To all wwm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN HARRIS, a citizen or the United Sta-tes, residing at Lahe- Wood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State' of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electrolytic Cells, or

which the followinfr is a full, clear, and ezly act description, reference beingrhad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates'to apparatus for jthe generation of hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis of Water and has Jfor its general ob- )ect to so construct and arrange the parte of such a .aratus as to revent a mirino of the ther and more limited objects of the invention will be realized in and through the con- -struction and arrangement of parts described in the specification and embodied in the claims appended hereto.

in the drawin s Fionre l re resents a longitudinal sectional view through an electrolytic cell constructed in accordance with my invention, certain of the units thereof being shown in section and certain others in elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail corresponding to the line 2-2 of Figui, certain parts being' broken away; Fig. 3 va perspectiif'e view of oneof Vthe clamping rings employed in the construction of one of such units, and

. l 4Fig. e a detail in section of one of the elec--v 35 trodesand the parts adjacent thereto.

Describing the various parts illustrated herein, 1 denotes a tank having therein the electrolyte 2, said electrolyte being preferably a 10% solution of sodium hydroxid in Water. 8 denotessnpports located on opposite sides oi the bottoinof the tank and extending preferably the full length thereof, each support being formed of insulating vinaterial and having its inner lface rabbeted to provide a seat, as indicated at 3 for the lower ends of the units, which will now be described.'

Each unil; comprises a narrow open bottoni casing l of sheet iron, fiber, or other suitable material having in each side wall thereof an aperture surrounded by an outwardly projecting flange 5. The apertures are shown as oval or elliptical, butmay be of any suitable shape. Nithin-each flange, there is 4mounted an electrode 6, said electrode being 'adacent diaphragme.

,storage ycompar trnen't thereof provided. with projections Ga. These projections are rounded or knob-like and are shoivn as arranged in vertical roivs with the projections of one row staggered horizontally and vertically with respect to the pro- ]ections on the adjacent roivor rows. Each electrode is of the same shape as the liange 5 but is snliiciently sanallei; than said flange to enable it to be inserted therewithin and "to provide a space lieti-heen the periphery of the electrode and the inner wall ofthe iiange. For the purpose of providing afuniiorxn space between the flange and the electrode, the latter may be provided with spacinglugs of non-conductingmaterial indicated at f3?. 7 denotes a diaphragm `(preferably of asbestos) which is applied to the opposed flanges 5 adjacent units by means of a conimon clamping ring 8. The clamping rings Will be of such Width as to ahnt against the sides of opposed cell units and space apart and thus provide a chamber between opposed 'lhis chamber is defined by the clamping ring and the diaphragins and the ring is perforated in its upper portion, as indicated at 8a. y The units will he supported in proper position Within the tank and the parts will be held in operative relation to each other by means of a screw threa fd through an insulating bushing 1.0 in ,one of. the end Walls of said tank, said screw hearing against a plate l1 which in turn is adapted to press against the side of the unit adgacent thereto. The end units of the cells will each preferably provided With a'cap l2 which is slipped over the flange 5. By operating the said screw the 'units may be removed or inserted as desired, and may be heldin proper relation to eachv other when assembled Within the tank.

Each unit iis provided with a'nech 4:? having-- therein a removable stopper' or closure -ll of insulating material and through whichy the Wire 13 is led to a transverse bar la (preferably of cast iron) extending between the electrodes 5. Eaoh alternate unit will receive a conductor leading' from the positive side of the 'source of `electrical energy, the other units receiving therewithin a conductor leading from thenegative side of such source of energy. Each unit is also provided with an outlet connection e@ from which a "tube (notsl own) leads to a suitable foot shown). Y Aln operation, currentheing supplied to the various units, oaygen'ivill he generated with rar-eieren sier. ii, rare.

in opposed walls thereof, each of said open-l 'said openings and spaced from the wall corresponding thereto, a diaphragm of permeable material applied to each flange, and a clamping ring securing the peripheral portion' of said diaphragm to the corre spondng fia-nge.

9. Asa new article of manufacture, a cell unit copprisinHg a easing having .an upper gas collecting chamber and provided with opposed openings below said chamber, an eleetrodewithin each opening and having its periphery yspaced from the wall thereof to provide a .passageway for gas from the Y outside'of each electrode inwardly around the edge thereof to said chamber, and a bar of conducting material interposed between said electrodes andengaging the inner faces thereof. Y y

10. Asa new article of manufacture, a cell comprising a casing' having an upper gas-collecting chamber and provided with'.

an opening. in the wall thereof below suoli chamber, an electrode" in said opening and peripherally spaced from the wall thereof to provide a passageway for gas from the outside of the electrode inwardly throughA the peripheral space to 'said chamber, and means for supplying electric current to said electrode.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiX my signature.

y JOHN HARRIS. 

